Parenting program is a proven success

Jolie SingletaryBe Our Guest

Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, December 10, 2012 at 2:40 p.m.

On Nov. 23, your paper published an Associated Press article by Kelli Kennedy headlined, “Study: Pregnant students need better support.” A more appropriate headline would have been, “Programs that help pregnant students need better support.”

Facts

Singletary is a coordinator for the Adolescent Parenting Program of the Children & Family Resource Center

In the article, Kennedy tells the story of a 15-year-old named Kali Gonzalez and her struggles as a pregnant and now parenting teen mother. Kennedy wrote “Gonzalez is a rare example of success among pregnant students.”

I realized in reading Kennedy’s article that the assistance that is available to teens and the success that it brings, especially here in Henderson County, is not widely known. Without people having knowledge of those programs, they are unable to support them financially, through volunteering or politically.

Henderson County is one of the 26 counties in North Carolina that is lucky enough to have an Adolescent Parenting Program partially funded in by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services’ Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative as well as a number of other state and community grants.

Pregnant and parenting teens in Henderson County not only have the Adolescent Parenting Program but also have access to a five-star Early Head Start Center at Balfour Education Center. This provides the opportunity for 16 children of teen parents to have their child on site with them at school.

The program is run through Western Carolina Community Action (WCCA). It provides transportation to and from school for the teen and child, access to a family service worker and access to a high-quality child-care setting.

In the Adolescent Parenting Program, teens are able to strengthen their individual support systems, learn ways to become self-sufficient and improve the developmental outcomes for their children. Where teens in other counties and states struggle to find a voice to advocate for their needs, the Adolescent Parenting Program provides the assistance that pregnant and parenting teens require.

Without programs like the Adolescent Parenting Program, five out of 10 girls would drop out of school and 29 percent would become pregnant again before age 20. With the help of the Adolescent Parenting Program, teens are able to find appropriate child care so they can continue on in school, and gain the educational support and encouragement needed to help them push through to graduation. With the skills learned in the program, these graduated teens go on to work, college and beyond and are less reliant on government assistance.

Graduation proves to be a major factor in reliance on government programs. According to CBSnews.com, “Dropouts cost taxpayers more than $8 billion annually in public assistance programs like food stamps” and are “more likely to be unemployed: 15 percent are out of work versus a national average of 9.4 percent.” The Adolescent Parenting Program works in conjunction with schools, health providers and social services to help teen parents avoid the typical pitfalls that they often face.

The Adolescent Parenting Program not only offers assistance but has a proven track record that this assistance works. In the past three years, 55 girls from Henderson County have graduated from the program by receiving their diploma or GED.

Unfortunately, funding for these programs and the resources they utilize are being cut every day despite their successes. Just this year, Henderson County teen parents learned another important lesson.

In making their voices heard by writing letters to their government officials, local teen parents attempted to stop the motion to end the crucial child-care subsidy that allows these teens to continue in school while ensuring that their children are in a safe child-care environment. Thankfully, the Henderson County Department of Social Services has prioritized teen parents on its waiting list for the child-care subsidy, and they are able to receive assistance as long as they are working toward their education.

Supporting programs such as the Adolescent Parenting Program of Henderson County is in fact a way to pave the way for a brighter future for not only these teens but our community as a whole. To learn more about the Adolescent Parenting Program or how you can provide the much-needed support to aid this program, visit www.childrenandfamily.org.

<p>On Nov. 23, your paper published an Associated Press article by Kelli Kennedy headlined, “Study: Pregnant students need better support.” A more appropriate headline would have been, “Programs that help pregnant students need better support.”</p><p>In the article, Kennedy tells the story of a 15-year-old named Kali Gonzalez and her struggles as a pregnant and now parenting teen mother. Kennedy wrote “Gonzalez is a rare example of success among pregnant students.”</p><p>I realized in reading Kennedy's article that the assistance that is available to teens and the success that it brings, especially here in Henderson County, is not widely known. Without people having knowledge of those programs, they are unable to support them financially, through volunteering or politically.</p><p>Henderson County is one of the 26 counties in North Carolina that is lucky enough to have an Adolescent Parenting Program partially funded in by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services' Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative as well as a number of other state and community grants.</p><p>Pregnant and parenting teens in Henderson County not only have the Adolescent Parenting Program but also have access to a five-star Early Head Start Center at Balfour Education Center. This provides the opportunity for 16 children of teen parents to have their child on site with them at school.</p><p>The program is run through Western Carolina Community Action (WCCA). It provides transportation to and from school for the teen and child, access to a family service worker and access to a high-quality child-care setting.</p><p>In the Adolescent Parenting Program, teens are able to strengthen their individual support systems, learn ways to become self-sufficient and improve the developmental outcomes for their children. Where teens in other counties and states struggle to find a voice to advocate for their needs, the Adolescent Parenting Program provides the assistance that pregnant and parenting teens require.</p><p>Without programs like the Adolescent Parenting Program, five out of 10 girls would drop out of school and 29 percent would become pregnant again before age 20. With the help of the Adolescent Parenting Program, teens are able to find appropriate child care so they can continue on in school, and gain the educational support and encouragement needed to help them push through to graduation. With the skills learned in the program, these graduated teens go on to work, college and beyond and are less reliant on government assistance.</p><p>Graduation proves to be a major factor in reliance on government programs. According to CBSnews.com, “Dropouts cost taxpayers more than $8 billion annually in public assistance programs like food stamps” and are “more likely to be unemployed: 15 percent are out of work versus a national average of 9.4 percent.” The Adolescent Parenting Program works in conjunction with schools, health providers and social services to help teen parents avoid the typical pitfalls that they often face.</p><p>The Adolescent Parenting Program not only offers assistance but has a proven track record that this assistance works. In the past three years, 55 girls from Henderson County have graduated from the program by receiving their diploma or GED.</p><p>Unfortunately, funding for these programs and the resources they utilize are being cut every day despite their successes. Just this year, Henderson County teen parents learned another important lesson.</p><p>In making their voices heard by writing letters to their government officials, local teen parents attempted to stop the motion to end the crucial child-care subsidy that allows these teens to continue in school while ensuring that their children are in a safe child-care environment. Thankfully, the Henderson County Department of Social Services has prioritized teen parents on its waiting list for the child-care subsidy, and they are able to receive assistance as long as they are working toward their education.</p><p>Supporting programs such as the Adolescent Parenting Program of Henderson County is in fact a way to pave the way for a brighter future for not only these teens but our community as a whole. To learn more about the Adolescent Parenting Program or how you can provide the much-needed support to aid this program, visit www.childrenandfamily.org.</p>